In summary:
- Olympic and Paralympic track star Oscar Pistorius has been sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of culpable homicide for the killing of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine's Day, 2013.
- Pistorius also received a three-year sentence for a separate gun charge that was suspended, which means he won't have to serve it.
- The athlete didn't express any emotion as the sentence was read by Judge Thokozile Masipa.
- The sentence marks the end of the high-profile eight-month trial.
- Pistorius' defense team said that he could be out of prison after 10 months, at which point he would be able to apply for house arrest. However, South Africa's National Prosecution Authority (NPA) said he would have to serve at least two years in prison.
- Oscar Pistorius' uncle Arnold said the family do not intend to appeal the sentence. The NPA has yet to decide whether it will appeal.
- Reeva Steenkamp's family said they are "satisfied" with the sentence, and that "justice has been done."
You can watch a video of the sentencing here:
Updates
Pistorius has supposedly arrived at Kgosi Mampuru prison, where he will serve his sentence.
Following the sentence, the International Paralympic Committee said it has banned Pistorius from competing for five years, the BBC reported.
The ruling means that even in the likely event Pistorius is released from prison within 10 months to two years, he would still be unable to compete in the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Last month, the organization said it would not stop Pistorius from competing in Rio if he he had completed his sentence by the games.
Pistorius has now left the court, and will head to prison to start his sentence.
The Pistorius family spoke to the media outside the courtroom.
They criticized the state for aggressively pushing the premeditated murder charge.
Pistorius' uncle Arnold said the athlete will "embrace" the jail sentence and welcome the opportunity to "pay back" society.
Arnold Pistorius said the ordeal has been "harrowing" and "exhausting" for the family.
The full statement can be read here, via The Guardian.
Oscar Pistorius' brother, Carl, tweeted the following after the sentencing:
Reeva Steenkamp's mother, June, appeared to smile briefly when the sentence was read out, according to reporters in the court.
The Guardian said she told reporters the sentence brought a kind of closure, but that the family would be unable to receive actual closure "unless you can magic [Reeva] back."
Reeva Steenkamp's father, Barry (below, second right), told reporters he was "pleased that it's over."
The Guardian also reported that Barry Steenkamp said he was "very satisfied" with the sentence and felt it was sufficient.
This image was left discarded on the floor of the Steenkamp family benches following the hearing.
Pistorius' defense team said that the athlete could be out of jail after 10 months, at which point he'd be able to apply for house arrest.
However, prosecution officials dispute this, saying he will have to serve at least two years.
The National Prosecution Authority said it has yet to decide whether to appeal the sentence.
The Pistorius family said they don't intend to appeal.
The court has adjourned, after Judge Masipa thanked the counsels and the gallery.
Oscar Pistorius has been sentenced to five years in prison for culpable homicide relating to the shooting of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
He got three years wholly suspended for a separate gun charge. The two sentences will run concurrently.
Pistorius remained stony-faced as the sentence was read out.
He briefly shook hands with his uncle, before being led to holding cells.
Judge Masipa says suspended sentence not appropriate.
Says sentence of three years house arrest plus community service, as suggested by defense witnesses, would not be appropriate.
Judge Masipa is implying the Pistorius case is worse than the case law she's been citing. The case in question — the Voster case — ended up with a suspended prison sentence of three years.
Judge Masipa says court should be "merciful", and should strive to keep a person out of prison wherever possible, if they are not serious criminals.
Reporters in the court said Pistorius has remained motionless throughout the morning's proceedings.
The judge is dealing with case law regarding culpable homicide.
Judge Masipa is drawing her conclusions.
Says she faces a difficult balancing act in terms of consequences of Pistorius' negligence.
Masipa has moved on to Reeva's cousin Kim Martin's testimony, and says that her pain reflects that of the Steenkamps.
Judge Masipa stresses the need to differentiate between vengeance and justice.
She says South Africa's constitution has ensured its legal system is not stuck in "the dark ages."
And stresses the need for sentence not to be seen as "too lenient" in the eyes of the public.
Masipa accepts that negative media attention could have an effect on Pistorius' reputation.
However, she has not taken into account other facts in the media coverage.
The court accepts Pistorius' remorse as a mitigating factor, and his attempted apology to the Steenkamp family.
Judge Masipa describes Pistorius' crimes as "serious", and criticizes him for firing four shots into a "small cubicle" where there was no room for escape.
Judge Masipa says Pistorius has made an "enormous" contribution to society through his charity work and changing perceptions of disability.
Judge Masipa says Pistorius' status would not lead him to be treated differently to others in the the eyes of the law.
She criticizes the defense team for drawing attention to Pistorius' vulnerability. Says he has good coping skills.
Judge Masipa says the South African prison system would be able to accommodate not only Pistorius' disability, but also treatment for his mental health.
Judge Masipa says she will take into account the fact Pistorius is a first-time offender.
Masipa was impressed by the evidence of correctional services' Zac Modise's evidence.
Judge Masipa criticizes social worker Annette Vergeer's testimony. Said she was "slapdash" and her evidence "outdated" and "perfunctory."
Court is back in session, and Pistorius is expected to hear his sentence within the next 90 minutes.
Judge Masipa is currently recapping the evidence given in mitigation and aggravation of sentencing last week.
Judge Masipa thanked both counsels, and draws proceedings to a close.
We adjourn until 9:30 am local time, Oct. 21.
Roux made several corrections to Nel's argument. He rejected Nel's argument about shower rails, as Pistorius had a pedestal in his shower instead.
Nel suggested Pistorius could get a bench for showering in prison.
Nel called for a "long incarceration." Said it's not up to court to decide on prison conditions.
Nel said that the minimum term the crime deserved was ten years imprisonment.
Nel brought up Pistorius' media treatment. Judge Masipa intervened to say that any reference to the media in either closing argument will be disregarded.
Nel has compared the evidence of social worker Annette Vergeer and Zac Modise. Said Modise's was strong, while rubbishing Vergeer's.
Nel accused Pistorius of hypocrisy: that he triumphed over disability in his athletics career, but "shamelessly" using it to attempt to avoid prison in court.
He rubbished the argument that Pistorius should not go to prison as there are no railings in the showers. Pointed out there were no railings in Pistorius' own shower.
He brought up Pistorius' notorious trip to a nightclub in the wake of the trial, said these are not the actions of a remorseful person.
Nel has been unflinching in his attempts to stop Pistorius being portrayed as any kind of victim.
Court is back in session. Nel quotes the case history in regard to negligence. Argued that this level of negligence borders on the murder charge of dolus eventualis.
He drew the court's attention to Pistorius' response that he didn't fire a warning shot because he was concerned it would ricochet towards him. Said this suggests he was thinking clearly.
Nel suggested that Pistorius' has sought to portray himself as a victim throughout the trial process.
Pistorius has become visibly emotional in the hearing today.
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel started his closing argument by saying sentence must take into account what society wants.
He said the court needs to think about Reeva Steenkamp, and her family, rather than Pistorius. Said the court has been thinking about Pistorius for months. Said court was lucky to hear from Steenkamp's cousin Kim Martin.
Nel lambasted Pistorius' offers of payment to the Steenkamp family. Said it was an attempt to influence sentencing.
Nel said the concept of a sentence of correctional supervision is "shockingly disproportionate" to Pistorius' crime.
He emphasized that Reeva did nothing to contribute to her death.
Nel emphasized that, though the Steenkamps were poor, they were incredibly loving, and that should be considered.
Roux talked about the "unfairness" of the media's treatment of Pistorius.
Roux said society has moved on, that people should move away from the initial instinct that someone does something bad, they should go to prison. Prison should be last resort.
Said consequences for Pistorius have already been awful.
He has said that the offer of money made to Reeva Steenkamp's parents was private and sincere.
He said correctional supervision and community service is a punishment, but it is restorative, rather than retributive like a prison sentence.
Roux said Pistorius desperately felt the need to apologize, but the Steenkamps' lawyer thought it not appropriate to pass letters Pistorius wrote onto them. Roux finished his argument.
Closing arguments are underway, with the defense's Barry Roux going first. He said the decision must ultimately be approached in the context of a "tragic event" and that the loss of the Steenkamp's child is the "greatest devastation."
Roux emphasized Pistorius' belief that he "genuinely, though erroneously" believed there was an intruder behind his bathroom door.
He maintained Pistorius did not conciously act unlawfully
Roux brought up the concept of ubuntu: that the punishment should be about restorative justice and giving something back to society.
According to reporters in the court, sentencing looks like it may not come until early next week.
Proceedings resumed. Prosecutor Gerrie Nel said he has no more witnesses.
Court then adjourned for the day, with closing arguments to come tomorrow.
Reeva Steenkamp's cousin, Kim Martin, who finished her testimony today, has tweeted this:
Referring to the debate in court over the safety and privacy of showers in prison, Martin said:
During the break, there is a disturbance in court when self-confessed killer Mikey Schultz is removed from benches reserved for the Pistorius family and supporters. Pistorius' sister Aimee ends up in tears.
After the break, Modise confirmed there were 22 cells in the hospital section, only 7 of which are occupied.
Modise says he knows there are seven cells occupied, but is unsure how many patients are on the wards.
However, Roux points out the staff-to-prisoner ratio.
Modise said Pistorius would be assessed for single cell suitability before arrives. Roux accused Modise of rowing back on promises.
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel asked Modise a few questions about access to a private medical practitioner, before asking for a long lunch break to prepare a witness, and says he'll be done by tomorrow.
The court adjourns.
Roux got an admission from Modise that Pistorius would have to go in the hospital section of Pretoria Central prison, rather than the general section.
However, Modise says he does not know how many suitable cells are available in that section.
Court has adjourned for half an hour to give Modise the time to find out.
Roux has read a newspaper story about the leader of the notorius 26s gang making a specific threat to Pistorius' safety in prison. Modise said he's not aware of the story. Roux said he's surprised, as it had been widely reported.
The defense's Barry Roux has started his cross examination of Modise by discussing a newspaper report looking into an increase in torture cases in South African prisons, and the concerns of various NGOs.
Next prosecution witness is Moleko Zac Modise. Modise works for the department of correctional services, and is the acting national commissioner.
Nel asked Modise about his involvement in the Jali Commission, which looked at putting an end to corruption and inhumane conditions in the prison system.
Nel got Modise to refute Vergeer's testimony yesterday that the South African prison system would not have the facilities needed with which to deal with Pistorius' needs.
Court is back in session for the fourth day of Pistorius' sentencing hearing. Proceedings began with prosecutor Gerrie Nel wishing Judge Masipa a happy 67th birthday, to applause from the court.
He then briefly continued the questioning of Reeva Steenkamp's cousin, Kim Martin.
Martin said Pistorius needs to "pay" for what he's done, and the sentence must "send a message."
The defense's Barry Roux started his brief questioning of Martin. He contradicts Martin's testimony yesterday that Steenkamp spent Christmas alone.
He also pointed out that he wrote a number of letters to the Steenkamps following the shooting, something that Martin was not aware of.
Martin's questioning has finished.
Prosecutor Nel has asked for time to go through something with his witness, Reeva's cousin Kim Martin.
The defense's Barry Roux has said he only has two short questions for her, but Nel insists he needs the court to be adjourned until tomorrow. Judge Masipa agrees, but reminds the counsels that she is "only available this week".
Nel says he'll be finished with his evidence tomorrow afternoon. It looks as though a sentence, or at the very least and end to the arguments, will come this week.
Court is adjourned until 9:30 a.m. tomorrow.
Prior to the request for an adjournment, Martin was recounting her one meeting with Pistorius at a Cape Town restaurant, when Pistorius became "agitated" at the poor quality of service.
She said she didn't notice much affection between the couple, and had asked Steenkamp if she was happy, to which she replied: "Yes, but we need to talk."
She was never able to further question her cousin on the matter, something which has "bothered" her ever since.
Martin's testimony is proving emotional not only the Steenkamp family, but the entire courtroom. Martin has broken down in tears.
She has talked about Reeva's love for her family, her love of animals, her past relationships and her the financial hardship her family had been through.
She said the money she got during her early modeling career was used to cover her parents' medical insurance.
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel asked Martin about the day Steenkamp was shot. She said she was on her way to work with her husband when the news came across the car radio.
She said that, as it had not been confirmed the victim was Steenkamp, she tried repeatedly to ring her, but received no answer. Martin said she started to scream.
She went to he mother's house, and found her mother hysterical, which is when she realised Reeva was dead.
"It was for me the end of the world," Martin said.
She said the news "ruined the whole family". She said that Reeva's mother June was hysterical, and had to be medicated. Her father Barry was "crying, crying, crying."
Many in the court began crying at Martin's testimony.
Martin says that Reeva Steenkamp's father Barry wanted to take to the stand, but didn't feel he was able to. Martin said she felt Reeva needed her voice to be heard.
The court is back in session. Reeva's Steenkamp's cousin, Kim Martin, is the first prosecution witness in the sentencing proceedings.
Nel has called for an adjournment for lunch, and told Judge Masipa there will be three more witnesses.
The defense's Barry Roux has asked to read a press statement released by the Steenkamp regarding stipends paid to them by Pistorius for the record.
Nel has finished his questioning of social worker Annette Vergeer, by reiterating that he feels her suggestion of a sentence involving community service is inappropriate.
The court is back in session.
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel asked Vergeer about her description of Pistorius as "broken". Said Pistorius is not the victim here.
He said that Vergeer is biased against prisons, and has discussed her drawing attention to the availability of condoms in prison in her report.
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel has resumed his cross examination of social worker Annette Vergeer.
Nel is focusing on questioning the reliability of Vegeer's report into Pistorius' suitability (or lack of) for a prison sentence.
Nel has queried the recency of Vergeer's research, which led to her concluding that South Africa's prisons are violent or overcrowded.
He has pointed to several holes into Vergeer's knowledge of prison governance. She did not know that prisoners are able to apply for a single cell, for example.
Nel she is "irresponsible" to testify in the way she has without a full knowledge of the prison system.
They also went back discussing whether Pistorius' disability would lead to him being vulnerable in prison.
They also discussed access to psychiatric services in prison. Vergeer didn't know such services were available to all prisoners, but questions the validity of Nel's argument.
Nel argued that the free treatment in prison may be of benefit to Pistorius, as his precarious financial situation may prevent him from paying for it outside.
We're about to enter the third day of Oscar Pistorius' sentencing. The athlete has arrived at the Pretoria courtroom.
More details are emerging of the payments Pistorius has both sent, and attempted to send, the Steenkamp family.
The Guardian reported that the family rejected an offer of 375 000 rand (nearly $34,000) from the athlete. Pistorius had garnered the money from the sale of a car, but the Steenkamps' lawyer said that they did not want to accept what they saw as "blood money".
He also placed on record that the family would pay back "every cent" of the monthly stipends it emerged Pistorius had been paying them.
Pistorius reportedly wanted to keep the stipends secret, but the Steenkamps were ready to go public.
De Bruyn said they accepted the money out of necessity:
The payments have now ceased:
It has also emerged that the Steenkamps have no intention of pursuing a civil case against Pistorius, and instead want "closure".
The court has adjourned for the day.
Nel asked whether, if someone were to testify that Vergeer's testimony was wrong, she would change her mind:
The defense's Barry Roux asked Nel to clarify what he meant by "wrong":
Vergeer said she would not, as Pistorius is "vulnerable."
Court resumes, Nel continues to question Vergeer.
Nel has continued to attack Vergeer's argument that South African prisons would not be suitable in Pistorius' case.
Nel suggested the court adjourns, Judge Masipa accepted his request.
Nel and Vergeer argued over details of the judgment, and Judge Masipa rebuked her for avoiding answering his questions.
They discussed how Pistorius would cope with his disability in prison.
The prosecution's Gerrie Nel moves on to cross examining Vergeer. He won a key confession, that she's working privately for Pistorius' defense team, not the state.
Vergeer suggested three years correctional supervision (house arrest), and community service.
She argued that prison would "break him", and not be beneficial to his rehabilitation. She said that he is "an extremely broken person, who would only deteriorate" if incarcerated.
She pointed out that the South African prison system is overcrowded, and lack facilities to deal with Pistorius' disability. She gave a dismal assessment of conditions in South African prisons.
Vergeer said it is "highly unlikely" Pistorius will re-offend, and said that he pays a "monthly sum" to Reeva Steenkamps family, which she sees as indicative of his remorse.
So far, she seems to be recommending not sending Pistorius to prison.
Roux has ended his re-examination of Van Zyl. The next witness is probation officer Annette Vergeer.
Court is back in session once again, with the defense's Barry Roux questioning Van Zyl once more.
Oscar Pistorius has arrived at the North Gauteng County Court in Pretoria for the second day of his sentencing.
Court came back into session briefly, with Van Zyl continuing to run through Pistorius' various chariable endeavors and sponsorships.
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel is handed a thick document, and asks the judge to adjourn to give him time to study, and Judge Masipa grants an early adjournment.
Maringa said Pistorius would be a good candidate for house arrest, subject to strict conditions.
Maringa said also that he would be a good candidate for community service.
Hartzenberg has been excused. The next witness is Joel Maringa, a social worker from South African correctional services.
He has prepared a report looking at Pistorius' suitability for house arrest, rather than a prison sentence.
The first defense witness is psychologist Dr Lore Hartzenberg, who counselled Pistorius after the shooting of Reeva Steenkamp. Prosecutor Gerrie Nel is cross examining her.
She says that she does not feel Pistorius showed any intention of resuming his career as an athlete during their sessions.
She described Pistorus as "a broken man who has lost everything."
Hartzenberg talked about Pistorius' emotional state following the shooting. Said he was suffering from depression, stress, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
After a lengthy adjournment, Nel pushed Dr. Hartzenberg on Pistorius' love life after the death of Reeva Steenkamp, and whether she knew anything about any new relationships.
Olympic and Paralympic track star Oscar Pistorius is back in North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, South Africa, for sentencing after being found guilty of culpable homicide over the death of his model girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
Culpable homicide carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in jail, and no minimum sentence. Pistorius could walk away without any jail time at all.
The sentencing process takes the form of a mini trial, with Judge Thokozile Masipa calling witnesses to present evidence in mitigation and aggravation of sentencing, The Guardian reported.
The process could take three days, although Judge Masipa said she "hopes" to have things wrapped up within a week.
The defense is likely to call four witnesses, while the prosecution will call at least two.